Much depends on the quality of your American or International instruction. I think American is getting much more developed now, thanks in part to what dancers in other parts of the World contributed. I will say that I have encountered many American style dancers that had been dancing a few years and still couldn't do a Closed Natural or Reverse Turn very well or at all. I don't blame the style, but rather their emphasis was on dancing the "normal" social steps everyone else was dancing. That said, with proper instruction, Closed Natural and Reverse Turns can be danced socially and beautifully too.

You also have to look at a lot of franchises who bring dancers from overseas over who then are taught to teach american style. So they apply what they know about Latin to rhythm because you can easily do that in smooth, yet it really isn't right and it makes rhythm just seem like bad Latin which its not.

At a recent comp, I heard a friend talking about how frustrated he was about big differences in his rhythm placements from different judges. I looked them up -- the judges who were way high level latin folks consistently placed him 5th or 6th, and all the other judges consistently placed him 1st or 2nd. Seems like those judges wanted his rhythm to look more like latin.

At a recent comp, I heard a friend talking about how frustrated he was about big differences in his rhythm placements from different judges. I looked them up -- the judges who were way high level latin folks consistently placed him 5th or 6th, and all the other judges consistently placed him 1st or 2nd. Seems like those judges wanted his rhythm to look more like latin.

Click to expand...

I think that is changing. At the last few comps I went to I saw virtually all rhythm competitors doing more 'American' style technique.

Well I'm not shocked. I felt that their rhythm has been more rhythm-y.... although they used to be (as I have been told by another DFer) the only couple who did smooth and latin, so prob some latin transferred over to their rhythm

I started this tread a few weeks ago, and learned a lot from the feedbacks. I have been working on international waltz since then and made some progress on both smooth and standard waltz. My instructor now suggested to move on to other international dances. To this point, I need a more coherent strategy for my learning process:

1) to continue fine tuning waltz till reaches a more advanced (say, silver) level
2) to move on to other standard dances for techniques
3) to go back to American smooth for integrating techniques
Or something in between.

My goal is a good social dancer. I mainly dance with my hubby who started learning American with me from the beginning, and who prefers to stay in American till getting more solid on each dance in bronze level. (about 6-8 dances)

Given this overall situation, I really need your advices to think about next step and beyond.

I started this tread a few weeks ago, and learned a lot from the feedbacks. I have been working on international waltz since then and made some progress on both smooth and standard waltz. My instructor now suggested to move on to other international dances. To this point, I need a more coherent strategy for my learning process:

1) to continue fine tuning waltz till reaches a more advanced (say, silver) level
2) to move on to other standard dances for techniques
3) to go back to American smooth for integrating techniques
Or something in between.

My goal is a good social dancer. I mainly dance with my hubby who started learning American with me from the beginning, and who prefers to stay in American till getting more solid on each dance in bronze level. (about 6-8 dances)

Given this overall situation, I really need your advices to think about next step and beyond.

Click to expand...

I would suggest two things:

1. Take lessons as a couple with your husband so you not only learn to dance better, but you learn to dance better with each other. You may need to search a little to find an instructor who teaches a couple as a couple rather than just teaching the individuals within the couple.

2. Failing that, ask your instructor to show you how to apply what you've learned in international waltz to American waltz. This shouldn't be a problem unless if your instructor knows American style as well as international style.

All that follows is strictly my opinion based on several years of "social dancing" followed by transition into competitive dancesport, primarily international. If your goals are social dancing with your husband, launching into a full, aggressive course of international training is probably overkill. From day 1, international style targets full, competitive form and style (one of its great advantages!), takes many years to master, and, frankly, leaves you with a dance that doesn't "fit" well on many American social dance floors.

From your stated goals, American style is probably much better. However, bronze American seems to be overly "socialized" in many venues with an emphasis on "steps" and, shall we charitably say, a "relaxed" style and technique. (In American silver, at least from what I've seen, it USUALLY gets more serious.)

Social dancing with one's spouse can indeed benefit from a degree of international instruction. Mainly, you want to move well and comfortably together, and look pretty good to those watching. Spending some time in international can certainly help here. (Note, however, that some instructors insist on the same rigor of style and technique in bronze American, which serves the same end.)

I look at the rigor of international as filling a "style and technique" hole that I have seen in at least some American bronze instruction.